EXCLUSIVE: Arrow Films has struck a deal with Shout! Studios to release 156 Hong Kong titles in the UK, including seminal classics by John Woo and Tsui Hark.
It follows the acquisition of the Golden Princess film library by US outfit Shout! Studios in January, which comprised worldwide rights (excluding some Asian territories) to the renowned catalogue of titles.
While Shout! will handle the US release of the films, both on physical media and through streaming platform Shout! TV, Arrow Films has acquired UK rights to the features.
Produced during the golden age of Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s and 1990s, the titles include John Woo action classics Hard Boiled, the A Better Tomorrow trilogy, The Killer, Once A Thief and Bullet In The Head.
Further titles starring Chow Yun-fat include City On Fire, Prison On Fire , Full Contact, Peace Hotel and All About Ah-Long.
Films from renowned directors in the catalogue include Tsui Hark’s Peking Opera Blues. Tony Ching’s A Chinese Ghost Story trilogy, Eric Tsang’s Aces Go Places, Andrew Kam and Johnnie To’s The Big Heat and Alex Law’s Now You See It, Now You Don’t.
Arrow Films plan to mount theatrical re-releases of select titles such as Hard Boiled and The Killer. Last month, Shout! revealed it has collaborated with the Hong Kong Film Archives to remaster several titles in 4K UHD, scanned from the original camera negatives.
Arrow said the deal would mark the first time some of the films had been released in the UK with others receiving fresh releases after years of being out of physical circulation. The firm is targeting 2026 for the first wave of titles, released through its Arrow Video label.
The deal was negotiated by Arrow Films’ acquisitions head Cliff MacMillan and Shout! Studios’ Mark Balsam.
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